Welcome to the Balkan World Music Guide – we are so excited to have you! In this booklet you’ll find the best world music artists and the coolest festivals and clubs of South East Europe – a region that is full of beauty and thrilling creative ideas. We know that there is no definite guide to Balkan world music, so on these pages we will pursue the humble quest of showcasing some amazing talent: musicians, festivals and clubs we’ve worked with in the MOST Music project. “Most” means bridge in many Slavic languages – this is why we named our support project MOST, the Bridge for Balkan Music. The mission of this initiative co- funded by Creative Europe is to support the world music scene of the Balkan region, and to boost the the local world music scene with funding and opportunities. The music industry works through personal and professional connections – the goal of MOST is to channel the untapped potential of South East Europe into the larger European market, and to foster mutually beneficial connection between the parties. To do this, we decided to focus on the markets in a larger region including Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro, Kosovo*, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Albania and North Macedonia. * This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. 6
MOST Balkan World Music Guide Page 7 Page 9